Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



G. M. sums L P. J.,LYN0H'. MAIL BAG GATGHEB. AND DELIVBBBB.

` APPLIUATION IILED NOV. 3, 1910. 988,221 Patented Mar. 28,19`11.

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G. M. STAINS & P.'J. LYNCH. MAIL BAG GATGHER AND DELIVBRER APPLICATIONFILED Nov. 3, 1910.

988,221. Patented Mams, 1911.

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G.-.M. STAINS & P. J. LYNCH. MAIL BAG OATGHBR AND DELIYBRER.

I APILIUATION FILED NOV. 3, 1910. 988,221

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Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

GEORGE M. STAINS, 0F WOODLAWN, AND PHILIP J'. LYNCH, OF SHOUSETOWN,PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BAG- CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 191i.

Application led November 3, 1910. Serial No. 590,586.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE M. Strains and Pi-HLIP J. LYNCH, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Woodlawn and Shousetown, respectively, inthe counties of Beaver and Allegheny, respectively, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMaiLBag Catchers and Deliverers; and we do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

rThe device relates to improvements in mechanisms for delivering andreceiving mail bags from a moving car.

The invention is a combination of improvements forming an etlicient andreliable mail bag transferring device, one part being attached to themail car door and the other mounted upon a frame work beside the track.

An important improvement over other similar devices is the springarrangements by which the bag-holding arms are held in either of twopositions, the one for placing the bags in position on the arms and theother for holding them in position for delivery. By this method the armsare held comparatively firm in these two positions, and it is notnecessary to depend on friction of the connections or resort to bracesor catches to keep them in their desired places. The snaps on which themail bag rings slide are so constructed as to release the ringsinstantly under the proper pressure supplied by the receiving arms. Theconstruction of the ring retaining` snap is exceedingly simple andinexpensive to manufacture, requiring, as it does, but one piece to bespecially manufactured, the other parts being standard bolts and coilsprings.

The receiving arm mounted at the side of the track is so constructedthat after catching the bag it is swung over an arm on which it rests,thus preventing its falling to the ground and being sucked under thewheels. By means of this device the heavy unmanageable weight on the endof the receiving arm is eliminated, and a weight of nine or ten poundsis sufficient for operating the arm at the maximum speed now attained bymail cars.

The car device is entirely operated from the inside, a handle beingprovided inside the door by which the bag holding arms are swung in orout. The handle on the receiving arm is also situated within the door,thus eliminating any possible danger to the operator.

The construction of the tower or frame at the side of the track is verysimple and rigid, as well as attractive in appearance. In this, apreferred form of the invention, the complete outfit is made of metal,thus making it very durable and indestructible.

With the above and other objects in view this invention resides in thenovel features of construction, formations, combinations andarrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimedand illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1represents a. perspective view of the device in use; Fig. 2 is an endelevation; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the receiving arm as used ona car, removed from its shaft; Fig. l is a perspective view showing theconstruction of ring holding snaps or fingers, and Fig. 5 is a top planview showing the method by which the leaf springs hold the trackdelivering arms in the two required positions.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral lrepresents the door frame of a mail car, on which is fastened twobrackets 9., on which in turn are pivoted the arms 3 by means of pins,bolts, or other suitable fastenings 4. On the outer ends of the arms 3are fastened plates 5, formed with extensions or fingers 6 for retainingthe rings 7 of the mail bag, and having a slot 8 cut nea-r the end toallow the end of said plate to swing through a small arc, thus allowingthe fingers to point in the direction in which the bag is to be takenoff. The plates 5 are fastened to the arms 3 by means of bolts 9, theone forming a pivot, and the other by means of the slot 8, limiting thearc through which the plate 5 can swing. Coil springs 10 are placed onthe bolts 9 under the nut, so as to allow a slight vertical play of theextensions 6 on the plates 5, this action of the springs tending to holdthe rings 7 of the mail bags from slipping off, and giving an automaticadjustment for dierent length bags. Stops 11 are attached to the arms 3for limiting the outward swing of said arms.

11n upright or spacing member 12 is attached between the arms 3,providing a brace for keeping said arms the right distance apart, aswell as strengthening tl e structure. upright 12, so that the arms maybe swung out or in 'through the car door, while the operator is entirelywithin the car. ik flat leaf spring 111 is attached to the outside ofthe door frame 1, and so shaped that it bears against the upright 12,thus providing suflicient friction to hold said upright in its extremeoutward position unless released by the handle 13. A flat leaf spring 15is attached to the inside of the door frame 1 near the top, and is soshaped that it bears against the upright 12 when same is at its extremeinward position, and holding the ffame tired in this position until theoperator wishes to swing said arm outside the car. y

it shaft 16 is suitably fastened to the door frame 1, and has mounted onit a spacer or washer and a bag receiving cylinder 13, a stop pin 19being inserted through the end of said shaft. The bag receiver consistsof the cylindrical part 13, from which eX- tends a handle 20, and thereceiving arm 21, which strikes against the bag to be received, thevelocity of the arm causing the bag to slide up to the cylinder 1S andis there held until removed by the operator. The cylinder 18 is sonotched, as shown in le 3, as to provide limiting stops when brought inContact with the pin 19 for the outward and inward swing of thereceiving arm 21.

The track delivering` and receiving device consists of an angle ironbase 22, resting on some suitable foundation. 'lo the outside of theupwardly extending sides of the angles 22 are fastened two uprightplates 23, a brace 24 being fastened to the upright plate, with itslower end on the ground some distance from the base, thus providingsuiiicient stiffness to the structure. Two brackets 25 are attached tothe upright plates 23, and have pivoted to them the arms of the mail bagdelivering frame, in the same man ner as previously described for themail car door. In this case, however, the flat leaf springs 2G differfrom those on the car frame,

in that they are fastened to the upright4 plates 23 and bear on theflattened ends of the arms 3` in their two extreme positions. A curvedsupport or bracket 28, made of a round metallic bar, the ends of whichare fastened within the space between the upright plates 23, and acts asa support or shaft, on which are mounted the coil spring 29, washer 30,the light coil spring 31 and the cylinder 32..

A stop or pin 33 is inserted in the bracket 23 to limit the outwardmotion of the cylinder 32. Fastened into the cylinder 32 is an arm 34for receiving the mail bags, and an A handle 13 is attached to the arm35, provided at its end with a weight 3G, for the purpose of throwing upthe receiving arm 34, and thus causing the mail bags to fall over upon areceiving or hold ing bracket 37, which is fastened to the uprightplates 23. An arm 38, one end of which is fastened within the uprightplates 23, has on its other end an adjustable shoe 3S), for holding theweight 3G when in the position for receiving mail bags. When the mailbag strikes the receiving arm 35 it slides the cylinder 32 on thebracket or shaft 28, the springs acting as cushions until the weightfalls olf the adjustable shoe 39, allowing the arm 33 to drop, and thusthrowing the sack upon the receiving bracket 37. A ladder 40, the upperend of which is attached to the arm 3S, is furnished to provide an eXtrabrace for the structure, as well as for the convenience of the operator.A hook el is attached to the upright plates 23 for holding a lantern.

Having thus fully described this invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. in a device such as described, consisting of mail bag receiving anddelivering arlns suitably mounted, one set upon the car door frame andthe other beside the track, the receiving arm attached to the car doorframe, consisting of a shaft attached to said door frame, having a stoppin passed through its outer end, a washer or spreader mounted on saidshaft, a cylinder mounted upon said shaft, having attached thereto ahandle and bag receiving arm, the end of said cylinder being notched toprovide, when brought in contact with the stop pin, a limited swing ofsaid cylinder about the shaft.

2. ln a device such as described, consisting of mail bag receiving anddelivering arms, one set mounted upon the car door frame, and the otherIbeing mounted upon a suitable upright support on the ground adjacent thetrack, an arm or bracket attached to said support, a receiving andweight supporting arm journaled upon said bracket, and a bag holding armattached to the upright support for the purpose of holding bags whenthrown upon it by the action of the bag receiving arm.

3. ln a device such as described, consisting of mail bag receiving anddelivering arms, one set mounted upon the car door frame and the otherbeing mounted upon a suit-able upright support placed on the groundadjacent the track, an arm or bracket attached to said support,receiving and weight supporting arms ournaled upon said bracket, and abracket attached to the upright frame, attached to the upper end ofwhich is an adjustable shoe for maintaining the weight at the properangle to the perpendicular when the device is set to receive a mail bag.

llV:

4. In a device such as described, consisting of mail bag receiving anddelivering arms mounted on suitable supports, fingers attached to thedelivering arms, and each of said ngers pivoted at their inward ends ona bolt, the outer ends formed into a mail bag engaging point, a slot outat an intermediate point, a bolt passed through said slot and a hole inthe arm, thus giving a limited swing to the finger, and springs placedon the bolts between the nuts and the delivering arms to allow avertical adjustment of the ngers.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twoWitnesses.

GEORGE M..sTArNs. PHILIP J. LYNCH.

Witnesses:

EDWARD MOKNIGHT, H. E. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

